One state – Vermont – has decided to adopt a single-payer healthcare plan for its 600,000 residents.

The law doesn’t take effect until 2014, but healthcare policy experts are watching carefully to see whether it works better, worse, or entirely differently from the federal changes that take effect the same year.

The states control practitioner and insurance licensing, the problems with medical care may be a result of these activities, so I think it right that they address the problems at the state level.

Vermont may have to make it easier to become a doctor or nurse and this may help lower costs. They also may need to refuse to pay for very low net gain procedures (maybe even some that they required insurance companies to cover).